Homes for homeless people in Brighton & Hove will be created following a successful funding bid by the council for £569,000.
The money, from the Homes and Communities Agency, will be used to purchase a property and turn it into an accommodation service for a group of people currently residing in the city’s homeless hostels.
The people involved have health problems and substance misuse issues. In the new accommodation, which will offer at least eight en-suite rooms adapted for people with physical disabilities, they will be able to get the extra support they need to improve their lives.
The council’s original funding bid focused on Hazel Cottage, a former NHS property. That property is no longer available, so the council is now looking for an alternative after being given the go-ahead to switch the grant to another property.
In addition to the £569,000 grant, the scheme will also benefit from up to £230,000 of funding from the rental income the project generates.
The service will be run by a support provider commissioned by the council’s adult social care team through a competitive tendering process. Support workers within the service will work with service users to address a range of needs including life skills, learning, and mental ill health.
The chair of the council’s housing and new homes committee, Councillor Anne Meadows, said: “Homelessness is a big problem in our city and we’re determined to tackle it.
“We want to improve the supply of affordable housing and also offer more housing that can support vulnerable people. This successful investment bid is an important step in that direction.”